1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for preparing kimchi (pickled vegetables) by fortifying it with Vitamin C.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Kimchi is possibly the most important side dish in the Korean diet. The Japanese also eat a version of kimchi called "kimuchi". While the specification refers to kimchi throughout, it should be understood that the use of this term is meant to include kimchi, kimuchi, and other variations of the traditional Korean pickled vegetable dish. Kimchi contains valuable phytochemicals-phytonutrients, and is well regarded by Koreans as an essential part of their diet.
Kimchi is a pickled product made from Chinese cabbage, Western cabbage, radishes, turnips, mustard greens, dandelions, cucumbers, carrots, beets, gingerroots, green onions, onions, garlic, fishes with salts. Depending on the temperature of the environment, the mixture is fermented anywhere from two days to a month.
Unfortunately, kimchi is also known to contain precursors for cancer causing compounds such as nitrites, nitrates, and secondary amines for the formation of nitrosamines. Further, kimchi is not a well-balanced food, since it is purely based upon plant sources.
Most Koreans believe that kimchi provides high levels of Vitamin C based upon its high vegetable content. However, the preparation and fermentation of the vegetables used in the manufacture of kimchi, substantially reduce the effective Vitamin C content of kimchi. The decrease in Vitamin C resulting from fermentation is unappreciated within the Korean community where most people believe that kimchi is very healthy and includes a high Vitamin C content.
This misconception is a result of the Vitamin C content found in the raw vegetables commonly employed in making kimchi. For example, Chinese cabbage includes 45 mg of Vitamin C, garlic includes 32 mg of Vitamin C, mustard includes 70 mg of Vitamin C, hot peppers include 242 mg of Vitamin C and oriental radishes include 22 mg of Vitamin C. Unfortunately, however, the preparation and fermentation processes utilized in making kimchi result in a drastic reduction in the Vitamin C content.
Specifically, and with reference to the articles entitled "Nutritional Food Chemistry" and "Korean's Life: Kimchi", the vegetables found in kimchi undergo a drastic reduction in Vitamin C content after fermenting. For example, the article entitled "Nutritional Food Chemistry" discloses that Chinese cabbage loses anywhere from 70-74% of its Vitamin C content upon fermentation. Similarly, oriental radishes lose anywhere from 53-56% of their Vitamin C content upon fermentation. This drastic reduction in Vitamin C content is not appreciated by the Korean community, as they believe kimchi includes substantial quantities of Vitamin C.
The lack of Vitamin C found in kimchi, when combined with the nitrates found in kimchi, may be a contributing factor to the high stomach cancer mortality rate found within the Korean population. It is widely believed that the nitrates within kimchi, as well as other carcinogenic components in the kimchi, when combined with the every day consumption found within the Korean community, contribute to high rates of stomach cancer. In fact, many Korean scientists advocate the consumption of kimchi as a health food without acknowledging the reduced Vitamin C content in the kimchi. This is propagated with the understanding that Vitamin C is a dietary useful antioxidant that may be helpful in countering the development of various forms of cancer.
As such, it is very important that traditional kimchi be modified to include a vitamin supplement as disclosed herein and not disclosed by the prior art. This present invention makes kimchi a more balanced, quality product by adding Vitamin C to reduce the risk of forming carcinogens.